Sunny's Diner
by SilverCascade
Summary: "Her love for food hadn't vanished, and through some strange bribery and promise, Hagakure had become her chaperone for these early morning visits." Asahina/Hagakure. Fluff, slight angst, and ridiculousness. One-shot.


The bluish, bruise-like smudges under Hagakure's eyes stood out from his gaunt face, the rich tan drained to leave only sallow skin. Not that the man noticed; he was too engaged in looking through the stained window. Grease smudges didn't impair the soft velvet night, an angelic blanket around this desolate diner. The light reflected off scratched translucent plastic, and it took an astounding amount of concentration to focus on what was beyond the flimsy boundary.

"Ar' you looking forn aliensh again?" Slightly muffled words pulled him back, digits in the sky vanishing. The horizon succumbed to total darkness again.

Hagakure glanced at her, then returned to the window. But his eyes couldn't focus and his mind couldn't drown out the quiet munching and chewing that made up the background noise of the small establishment. The place was so empty and so quiet it could be considered dead. Not that there was a breath of life anywhere else in the local vicinity; the whole area was deserted, an impressive diameter of ten miles. The fact this diner was alive was a miracle.

Asahina came here for her two a.m. junk food cravings. Hagakure had learned the troublesome way that informing his friends about recently-discovered pockets of lifehad to be done with discretion. In fact, it was impressive that Togami hadn't leaped into this small business and magicked it into a large chain. Though his workforce _was_ somewhat limited, and he'd stated he didn't want to dirty his hands; the situation wasn't that dire, according to him.

"Quicht stharing at me!" Asahina protested, pouchy cheeks deflating as she gulped down her burger. "Don't you know it's rude to watch people eat?" Hagakure rolled his eyes and looked away, but stole glances at her when she returned to her food.

Asahina hadn't changed much since they'd left their nightmare, but her stature had increased and her smiles were rarer. Still, she looked rather amazing in the uniforms they had to wear; her tanned complexion went well with the block navy, and though a formal blazer sat on her shoulders and she wore a pencil skirt and heels, her hair was still styled in its curling topknot. Her love for food hadn't vanished, and through some strange bribery and promise, Hagakure had become her chaperone for these early morning visits.

_Do not go out alone. If you must travel for emergencies, take at least one other licensed member of the Future Foundation with you. The world, at large, is still very dangerous._

Yeah, sure, Super High School Level Despair and their mobs were really going to rollock this diner. It spurned _so _much hope in its miniscule glory.

"Food is hope, you know," said the woman beside him, slurping from her plastic cup, wiping greasy fingers on the unprinted paper napkin. Hagakure noticed the burger was mostly gone before her words registered.

"Eh, how'd you know what I was thinking?!"

She looked at him, unimpressed. "Your eyebrows do this thing where one twitches... It's kind of obvious."

"How's this the first I'm hearing of it?!"

"Because it's two-thirty in the morning and I'm still hungry, tired, and a little sad," she stated, before smacking her palm onto the bell on the table. Asahina folded her arms and looked away from him, staring at the diner's interior.

Red and white leatherette covered everything, along with some suspicious-looking stains she wasn't entirely sure were grease. The place was a dump. Everything about it screamed ruination, from the irritating flickering lights to the way her seat hissed every time she shuffled, like it was sighing out its last breath. As the waitress arrived at their table, languidly, long legs and tumbling auburn hair, Asahina had to bite her tongue not to ask the question sizzling on her lips.

"What's someone as stunning as you doing here?" Hagakure said, not bothering to close his mouth, the words stumbling out in a garbled wave. The girl smiled, teeth white and sharp, and Asahina looked past her and at the counter, wondering what had happened to the teenage boy who could barely stutter out a sentence. Sure, she'd pulled a face when he first arrived, but in the face of this girl - nametagged Sherry - eyeing up the disheveled man like he was her next meal, and Hagakure being so damn oblivious to the danger -

"Can I take your order?" Purring, not a voice, and Hagakure blinked again, wondering if this was some sleep-deprived hallucination, sweet images to console his groggy mind. But out of the corner of his eye he saw Asahina's pout. _So she's seeing this too...? Okay._

"I'll take another burger and fries with extra cheese, and one large ice-cream soda for _my_ friend here." The emphasis was placed on the wrong word; Asahina bit her lip, not meeting the waitress' gaze.

"It's cute that you, um, order for one another." Her scribbles were swift, and with a mocking, flirtatious grin, orange lipstick strong enough to split her face, she winked and vanished, the horse-like clip-clop of her heels audible.

"Thanks for ordering, Aoi," said the man. "How'd you know I wanted that -"

"That's not what you really wanted," she muttered, but raised her voice to address him, this ridiculous man who made her heart pound, who could call her by her first name and not get slapped, not anymore. "Your cheek kinda twitches when you're craving soda, y'know..."

"You're so observant," he said, sighing and smiling, before taking her hands in his. They both had their share of calluses and hardness now, and though they'd seen things they'd never forget, there was always some element of sweetness when callus met callus and skin kissed skin. But no, not now.

She wouldn't stand for such a pathetic apology. She deserved better and she knew it. In Hagakure's words, they were part of the "Hope Crew." Which was great, but she wasn't going to put with this from her boyfriend of all people.

That word always sat a little strangely with her, even now, though they had been seeing each other for... four months? She'd crossed so many borders with him, and the first time he'd held her hand, or she'd kissed him, or they'd moved inside each other was -

"You alright? You're all red!" After all this time, he still couldn't read anything but the future, and the word subtlety didn't make it into his masses of religious texts. "Did'cha eat too fast or something?"

Her cheeks aflame, and half-stuttering an apology, she ran for the bathroom. Or so it felt, but the woman had learned much about self-control over the years. Her back was straight as she rose, excused herself to bathroom, and departed steadily.

Hagakure looked at her as she left, before calling, "Hey, let me put something on for you, 'right?" When she didn't reply, he stood, one hand scratching his stubbly chin, the other wedged in his pocket, rooting around for some loose change.

The jukebox was an ornate old machine, born and bred before his time. It was otherworldly things like this even existed. Super High School Level Despair and the Future Foundation had one thing in common; they were both like Puritans, or Communists; they leached the fun from everything. Music was the biggest source of enjoyment on a global scale, and though Hagakure hated these ventures at dawn, being sleep deprived and moody the next day was worth the golden oldies on this majestic machine. All flashing lights and massive, dusty buttons, and only a quarter a song, it wasn't bad. It wasn't bad at all. Maybe being based in American Headquarters had a few perks and benefits.

The coins clinked in, and Hagakure selected his girlfriend's favorites. These were the records that pulled them together after hours in the offices, where they'd danced together behind drawn shades and under fluorescent corporate lights. Having an old gramophone attracted the ladies, even he only had a few records. Okay, it attracted _one_ lady, but she was the best of them.

When Hagakure returned to his seat, satisfaction bubbled in his throat. This was going to be okay. Asahina... liked him, that was for sure, and if he offered to pay for the meal, he might be able to cheer her up. After all, these two a.m. visits to Sunny's Diner, though appearing sporadic to any onlooker, had their roots in work. Sometimes the news was distressing, the updates they received, dark, the bulletins and action plans just as nauseating as the events they were trying to control. This was their life now. They were partners within an organization that advocated them as Super High School Level Hope, but despair lurked at every turn. Each of them faced their battles to keep their heads raised and hearts untainted.

At least, that's how it appeared to him. But then, he'd perfected the art of letting go. He'd had to, in those days before school - he'd had to, to survive with himself. The others had their strifes, and he wouldn't forget the time Asahina had arrived at his doorstep; he'd rubbed the sleep from his eyes to read 4:00 on in blue light and opened the door to see thick streaks of black staining her cheeks, fresh tears driving them to her chin. Her eyes were screwed shut, mouth open and sobbing, shoulders heaving as she spoke one name over and over again.

"Sakura-chan... S-Sakura-chan!"

The opening of _It's Not Unusual_ broke the silence, and Hagakure saw Asahina had still not returned. Whatever had triggered tonight's impromptu food run... it had to be bad, if Asahina was still irritated with him.

* * *

Of course he wouldn't pick up the phone! He was the sweet little boy who was in bed by ten, ready to face the day ahead with a folder full of hope and a smile on his lips! Glancing at the cell phone in her hand, Asahina looked to the door of the small, smelly bathroom, then at her reflection in the mirror. She looked better than she felt, that was certain, and with a quick pinch of her cheeks and a smile, she opened the door to leave. Her phone buzzed. She ducked into the bathroom again and answered it.

"Naegi-kun, I need your help-"

"Asahina." She paused at the overly formal tone, tinged with innate contempt.

"Togami-kun? Isn't this Naegi-kun's number?" It was past quarter to three in the morning. _What the hell?_

"Naegi is... occupied, currently. I mean - what the _hell_ are you talking about? I told you, I am in charge of his phone!" His last words weren't addressed to her; they were muffled, faraway, and Togami sounded frustrated at having to cover the phone with his hand. There was only one person amidst their six who could exasperate Togami.

"Give the phone to Kirigiri-chan, please. This is an emergency."

Kirigiri was probably going to berate her, but only Naegi could help here. Or Syo, but Asahina didn't think the serial killer would be cooperative, nor did she feel like debating with her other half.

"Asahina-san, what is it?" Concern without a trace of coolness. Asahina almost felt bad.

"I need to talk to Naegi-kun. And... say, what are you all doing together, anyway?"

"The faculty dinner went on for longer than we anticipated. Naegi's driving Fukawa-san home, because Togami-kun refused. He'll be back soon. Let me help."

"I can't..." Heat flooded to her cheeks.

"Asahina-san."

"Couldn't _you_ drive Fukawa-chan home?"

"You know I have no interest in driving anywhere. What's the emergency?"

"Um, Hagakure-kun... I need your help, but - um..."

Kirigiri's sigh was small but clear. "What did he do?"

"I need you to pretend to be a guy."

"I see."

"Specifically, Naegi-kun."

"Your choice is limited."

"Um, I don't know how to ask..."

"Let me clarify." A pause, just long enough for Kirigiri to gather her thoughts. "You want me to speak to you whilst pretending to be Naegi."

"Um."

"With embellishment."

"Y-Yeah..."

"Okay, but I can't promise to be convincing. And you're taking the fall if Naegi is annoyed."

"Sure, sure. Thanks, Kirigiri-chan!"

"I'll call in five minutes." There was a soft chuckle, and Asahina wondered if she'd imagined it. "This might be fun."

Asahina stared at her phone again. What was she was doing? But she recalled Sherry's waterfall of shining hair and her boyfriend's gaping mouth. This was entirely necessary, and she was going to enjoy it.

With a last pat of her shirt, she drew herself to her full height and strode out of the bathroom.

The closing bars of _A Teenager in Love_ accompanied her as she sat down, her beaming boyfriend pushing the newly arrived plate of food towards her. Though his smile was usually infectious, and his dreadlocks, thick straws of hay sticking up every which way, seemed like a benevolent fir in the yellow light, all she could think about was Sherry. She'd been here, she'd talked to this bumbling food, and she'd kissed him!

"Hey, you alright?" He reached his hand out again, but she pulled hers into her lap. Hagakure frowned as the air filled with Carl Perkins' rich voice."Aoi, is there -"

The drone of her phone interrupted him, and she held up her finger and answered.

"Hey, this is Aoi Asahina."

"Um - hi, it's Naegi." Kirigiri's voice was lowered a timbre and uncertain.

"Naegi-kun, what a surprise!" _Too false, Aoi,_ she thought. But Hagakure's eyes widened a fraction, and she knew this was going to work. "Why're you calling so late? Did something happen?"

"Uh - I couldn't sleep? I kept thinking about you? You're, um, all I think about."

"N-Naegi-kun..." Asahina turned her face away from Hagakure, suppressing a sly smile that bloomed at her friend's soft tone. _She's trying so hard. I'll get her thank you donuts or something. _Lowering her voice, she cast a glance at Hagakure and murmured, "Not right now, I'm out with - oh!"

The last exclamation was added for effect, but Hagakure met her gaze. His eyes were huge, brow creased, like he wanted to say something. Before Asahina could speak, Kirigiri answered.

"You're making me so hot, I think? I wish I could touch you. Why don't you leave Hagakure and come over to my place?" Asahina blushed; even Hagakure hadn't spoken to her this way before. It was surreal to hear her friend talking like this.

"Okay, Naegi-kun, I'm g-going to hang up now." Silently, she thanked Kirigiri and cut the line. Asahina ate the burger quickly, not looking at her boyfriend.

Hagakure was quiet. He didn't touch his ice-cream soda, but stared at his palms. The lines and paths he'd walked were ingrained into his skin, every crease a road, or so he liked to think. The people he'd touched, the affection he'd doled out, the love he'd gifted… all with those hands. The man didn't have much to call his own in this world, but those hands would always be his.

A whirlwind battered his mind, picking up and tossing thoughts violently as he tried to stifle Asahina's munching from his mind. _What was that? What am I supposed to say?_

Sherry arrived and took their plates. Hagakure did not look up, even when her songbird sweet voice asked if he was done with his drink. The ice-cream had melted, staining the sweet sticky water a creamy beige. He shook his head, but Asahina grabbed it before Sherry could, stating she'd like to have it. Sherry left. Asahina coughed slightly, and Hagakure looked up at her neutral, unblinking face.

"What the hell just happened?" He said suddenly, not quite shouting, but not speaking either. "You and Naegi-chi? You two are-"

"Yasuhiro-"

"For how long have you-"

"Yasuhiro, please listen-" Her extended arm was batted away as he stood, face grave, lips pinched and cheeks trembling.

"That's why you've been acting strange today… You brought me here to tell me… I should've seen this…"

"I've been acting strange because you and Sherry wouldn't stop eyeing each other for a second!" She stood and slammed her palms onto the table.

"Huh?" All sadness gone, Hagakure's face, with its raised brows and hanging mouth, showed only puzzlement. Hagakure was a man who did not feel half-heartedly.

"Look," said Asahina, muscles tight and eyes moist. Her whole body was tense, like a feral cat about to strike, fists balled up; she was so angry, and she wasn't sure if she had a right to be. What was she so mad about? "That was Kirigiri. She was pretending to be Naegi because I told her to!"

"Wait… you and Kirigiri-chi?"

"Yasuhiro, I swear! Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm… I'm so confused." Deflating, Hagakure sank back into the seat. "Why did you-"

"Because I was jealous! And I wanted to make you jealous!" Asahina was yelling now.

"J...Jealous? Of what?"

"You and Sherry!"

"The waitress? What?"

"I saw the way you looked at each other… She kissed you when she left the food, didn't she?!"

"What? No! There is no 'me and Sherry'!"

"Then act like it!"

"I thought you were upset, so I was trying to be friendly! You always say I'm too moody at night!"

Asahina's tears fell freely, wetting her cheeks and lips. "Stop doing things for me, you idiot! The last person who did that - she killed herself!"

"But how else - if I don't do things for you, how am I supposed to show you I love you?"

_Hound Dog_ faded away, and silence settled. Hagakure's head was in his hands, dropping like a stone. His face was tinged purple-red from shouting, his own eyes wet. But at his words, Asahina stopped crying. Her quiet sniffs were all she could hear; the man opposite her sat deathly still.

"What?" she said finally, voice thick as she sat down. Her hands were folded in her lap, as she looked at him under glistening lashes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it so soon but-"

"Yasuhiro."

"It was a mistake, Aoi, and if you want to end it now, I-"

"Yasuhiro, I'm-"

"Why did I have to say that now, during a fight! I can't believe-"

"Yasuhiro, I love you." Her hands clamped over his, squeezing his palms. When the man opened his eyes, Asahina's wobbly smile greeted him. Tears dripped off her nose, and he brushed them away with his thumb. "I'm sorry I made you think we were through- I- I have no excuse. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry for making you think I was interested in Sherry. I'm not, I can't be, 'cause I'm so into you!"

That's cheesy," she said, but she was laughing.

"I'm cheesy." Hagakure's laugh was an embrace, the kind of warmth that Asahina acquired from sugary foods. Sweetness buzzed through her, a rush, and in a burst of affection she leaned down and kissed him.

When their lips came together, rough and smooth brushing each other for a moment before being pressed, they created a perfected melding of mouths. He could taste the meat on her lips, dark flavours of burned beef, and she trembled at the coldness of his cola-tinged tongue. Wrapped in each other, their hands travelled over their clothes, elbows planted on the table as they held each other over a rift beyond their control.

A loud "Ahem!" broke the air. Hagakure didn't notice when Asahina pulled back, and through closed eyes he tried to kiss the open air until she gently smacked the back of her hand against his cheek. He looked up to see her red face, and the auburn form of Sherry took shape beside her. Her scowl softened into a smile as she glanced from one blushing face to the next. With a slight roll of her eyes, Sherry tore up their bill before them.

"It's my first week on the job and… what the hell! This one's on me." A brilliant, toothy smile later, the girl turned on her heels and clicked away. Though the duo wouldn't ever know it, in three hours Sherry would greet the sunrise with warmth in her eyes and a smile on her lips, thinking to the oddball couple who had graced the tacky little joint with their love.

Asahina turned to the man, the pink from her cheeks lessened, the buzzing in her thighs increasing. Hagakure stared at his hands. _Did some girl just…?_

"Yasuhiro," she said gently, putting her hand on his sleeve. "Snap out of it."

"D'you think this is Naegi-chi's good luck rubbing off on us? I mean, this kinda thing never happens in real life!"

"It _is_ pretty incredible," she agreed. Would she have said the same thing if a small halo of goodness had appeared a few months ago? "Things like this don't happen anymore, do they?"

"I think it just did…" His chapped lips smacked together, and he brought the melted drink to his lips, pushing the straw to one side and gulping it back. Messily, he wiped the watery debris from his chin and beamed at Asahina; she shook her head, mock disappointment hiding her smile. _Idiot. Idiot who I love._

They sat for a moment, enjoying the song, not speaking, not looking at each other, suddenly shy teenagers hiding their words, hiding their thoughts, no inkling of how to act. But when _Tutti Frutti _closed on itself, archaic and lovely, the shyness dissolved and they gathered the bundles beside them, donned their sleek black jackets, and blended into the dark. Hagakure's rusty, hammering van may have been a Volkswagen, back when cars had names and faces and were chosen from galleries as carefully as fruit plucked from trees. It sat in the split-shade, parked outside the diner in unmarked dirt. But when they returned to it, the behemoth hummed to life like an enthusiastic dog, lighting up and obeying its masters commands.

Asahina jabbed her hand into Hagakure's side, snatching the keys from mid-air when he doubled over. Before he could blink, with a shuffle and a heave they had switched seats. When his breath returned, Asahina was fiddling with the seat belt, sealing herself in with a click.

"Put it on," she said, nodding to the strap beside him. She giggled.

"Y'know, if you wanted to drive, you just had to tell me…"

"That's no fun!" Pouting, she shifted the car into gear, glancing at the useless radio with a pang in her heart. She eased the beast from the makeshift cave.

It took only a few minutes to move away from the light; streetlamps had ceased to exist, too hope-filled with benevolent guidance to be allowed to exist. As dark settled, the man beside her turned into a boy. Yawning, muttering, tugging at her sleeve, he finally gave in when she didn't. He of all people knew what it was like to drive in blackness; she couldn't attend to his silliness as well as not drive into debris. Not to mention he was slacking on his job of keeping an eye out for "disturbances", a word used by the Foundation to address any activity. The activities of Super High School Level Despair, violent mobs in the making, or even on those diamond opportunities that appeared, revealing pockets of resistance, droplets of hope in the barren sea.

But when Hagakure's hair stroked her cheeks, head resting on her shoulder, she let him sleep. They'd already used their good luck tonight. He was better at spotting the hope, glittering white packets as addictive and precious as cocaine had been, and just as rare if you didn't have the connections.

Asahina had once thought of herself as a ray of goodness, or so she tried to be, tried to hold herself upright and keep her friends close. _Too close, _she thought bitterly, _too close and there are consequences. _A sick smile full of loathing made her lips wobbled. Now, she prided herself on being able to see the first signs of despair in liars, frauds, and those masquerading as hope; she had to do something for the sadness in her heart, and she was learning how to use it. She wouldn't let herself or her loved ones go under. Not this time. _Sakura-chan would be proud of me, I'm sure!_

Hagakure's snuffling caught her attention only when he slipped, face hitting her chest. She yelped, pulling tight knuckles back from the steering wheel and lifting his head up, all whilst balancing the speed of the car with her feet. He lolled to the other side, this massive man-child, innocent and asleep.

Asahina sighed. She placed her hands back on the wheel and glanced at Hagakure, who drooled over the seat. _There's a river in his mind, but right now it's flowing from his mouth. What an idiot. _A quick kiss on the forehead to check he was still real, and Asahina turned her attention back to the road.


End file.
